OPIUM
623
Bamford has shown that at least some specimen
Smyrna opium respond to this test.17 s ot both Turkish and
Medico-Legal Points.—Opium is about the co:mrn
suicide. Young men, who have lost money in sr»en <?nes^ drug selected by
who have been scolded by their parents for some off °n °r £amblin& or
to its use. Similarly, women who have quarrelled ^?e> frequently resort
relatives, or who have been disappointed in love, tak ^ . their husbands or
their relatives or to end their imaginary worries ar,^i °Pium either to terrify
r, . . i 11 . -x! X-, miseries.
Suicides usually mix opium with mustard oil or
that these substances increase its absorptive power v asafoeti(*a in tne belief
tion about this belief. However, it is true that must A there is no founda-
to be eliminated even by washing out the stomach. makes it difficult
It is also believed that alcohol hastens the action -f
not do so in all cases. I saw an Anglo-Indian m Agr °Pium> but it does
beer and opium, but he developed no other symptom a> W took a bottle of
throat and drowsiness. except dryness of the
Suicide by morphine is comparatively rare in T
report for the year 1927, the Chemical Analyser > ^dia- In his ann^al
cases of suicide morphine as against 79 cases by opi Boinkay reports two
Owing to its bitter taste, its characteristic sm -i/
colour opium is rarely used as a homicidal poison f j its ^ark-brown
sometimes used to destroy illegitimate infants. r a<*ults, although it is
A case18 occurred in the District of Khulna, where
ad a visitor, who gave her alcohol to drink. SI:
circumstances. Opium was detected in the viscera.
In his letter dated the 21st November 1946, Dr. Qoni p»
homicidal cases of opium poisoning which occurred to Him f ^^ Sahay describes two
a boy, aged 18 years, and his sister, aged 16 years, went t i uru^a. Two Santhalis,
of rice and rice water at'night. In the morning they di^ sleep after their usual meal
nation the face was found cyanosed, the pupils were dilated ^e Post."mortem exami-
gested. The usual viscera were preserved and forwarded +an(^ ^e viscera were con-
who found opium in them. The cousin of their father -was s ^e Chemical Examiner,
opium in their meals and was prosecuted under sections 3Pa foSPec*e<^ ^° have given them
"^o/oOS, I If* C
In his annual report for the year 1947, the Chemical Tr
Central Provinces mentions the case of a man who was aj .airu:n^r of the United and
District Bareilly. He was found -to suffer from the syr^^T*11**6^ to hospital in Ambla,
stated that he was given opium by a man in bhang shortcut T °^ °Pium poisoning. He
the suggestion of his friend he took opium with a vie«vsr t a*er> he admitted that at
against whom he had enmity. to accusing falsely a person
Opium is sometimes used as a caQje_pais0ri T v
the year 1925, the Chemical Examiner of the Tj.ip s annual report for
opium was found in a pill intended for poisoning 'catf?0***8 a °ase in w^ic^
a case of Ballia, where an attempt was made to T? . ^e a"so ^n^ntions
some juar leaves mixed with gur. The substance or! °1S°n an eleP^ant with
to contain opium.10 lamination was found
Cases of poisoning occur among infants and child
ally swaljowing crude opium or opium pills meant fo + u11- their accident-
parents, who are in the haHt of using the drug. *?£ ^e^r P^®11^ or grand
poisoned by an accidental overdose, as they are usualieyjare a^so sometimes
by their parents, especially of the labouring class witi-/ c*?u&£e(i wi*h opium
to unnatural sleep. J tt a view to lulling them
, a
tained a visitor, who gave her alcohol to drink. She died s KItlarij a#e<^ 26 years, enter-
iscera. subsequently under suspicious
Children are extraordinarily susceptible to
Hence great precaution should be used in prescnKivT x-L1 uence
the drug for them,
17. The Analyst, LV, 1930, pp, 445-46.
18. Beng. Chem. Exam. Annual Rep,, 19&1, p. 9.
19. Annual Report, 1926, p, 4.